Smoker&#39;s pipe



Oct. 29, 1940. 1-. E. NEAL SMOKERS PIPE Filed May 29, 1959 Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED STATES FATE? QFFICE I SMOKERS PIPE Theophilus E. Neal, Prairie View, Text Application May .29, 1939, serialNo. 276,485 1 Claim. (01. 131-205 This invention relates to an improved smokers pipe.

The acrid taste of a wet pipe needs no elaboration, as all pipe smokers are only too well aware of enforced periodic efforts with swabs to clean up and dry out a favorite pipe. Saliva as well as condensation from the tobacco in theheretofore to solve the problem and many variations in the pipe structure itself have been evolved. It is believed inherent experience, however, that detail structural parts in the bowl, stem or other components of a pipe become gummed, clogged and filled with nicotine deposits which natural process soon renders the whole more or less inoperative for the purpose envisaged. In contrast, it is conceived, in the present instance, that the answer lies in structural simplicity; to accept the usual pipe structure and to provide accessories which may be readily installed and which will take advantage of'natural laws of physics as regards velocities, expansion, etc., of gases, to provide a means whereby the owner of an-average simple pipe of bowl and stem may convert his prized posses.- sion into a device of greater efficiency and in creased comfort.

An object of the present invention therefore, is to provide accessories for, say an average pipe, which may be readily installed, which will provide a dry, cool smoke, which will make it possible to smoke all of the tobacco in the pipe bowl without caking at the bottom, and wherein, as long as the pipe stem is held in the mouth to exclude the entrance of air to the stem, the structure will tend to conduce a continued burning of the tobacco in the bowl, thus to eliminate the necessity of frequent lighting.

A further object of the invention is to provide a grate near the bottom of the bowl; which grate will be so shaped that it cannot fit the usual bowl unless inclined in the bowl; wherein the inclination of the grate will serve, through gravity, to lead any moisture from the grate to the lower portion thereof to drain ultimately into the bottom of the pipe bowl; and wherein the grate will define an expansion chamber at the bottom of the bowl.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in conjunction with the grate, a throat tube leading from the expansion chamber mentioned into the pipe stem; wherein'the throat tube will function in the manner of a Venturi tube to increase velocity and reduce pressure; wherein a bafile will be provided at the large end of said tube for changing the direction of flow of gases or smoke from the tobacco chamber to then flow through said tube; and wherein the stem duct will provide, in comparison with the size of the-smallen'd of the throat tube, a final expansion chamber for the smoke.

- And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide accessories which will be simple in construction and which may be readily manufactured and sold at moderate price.

Other and incidental objects of the invention more particularly showing the construction and mounting of the grate and throat tube of the invention.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the accessories of the invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail section on the line 4- ofFigure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the draw- 2 ing, I have shown a pipe embodying a bowl in, stem H and mouthpiece I2. The usual duct leading from the bottom of the bowl to the mouthpiece is indicated at l3 and, as shall presently appear, the forward end portion of this duct is utilized as an expansion chamber I4. The bowl [0 is internally contracted toward the bot: tom thereof in the usual manner and thus, near its lower end, is more or less ovate in cross section, r

Removably fitting within the bowl is a more or less ovate tilted grate l5, consisting of a flat piece of metal or other suitable material and having a plurality of spaced, inclined openings l6 therethrough of approved shape, number and spacing, the axes of said openings being preferably disposed at an angle to the fiat faces of venient instrument may be engaged for remov ing the grate from the bowl. The grate is shaped at its periphery to fit the ovate cross sectional contour of the lower portion of the bowl when the plate is tilted, as seen in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing and thus, as will be perceived, the grate cannot be rigidly positioned within the lower portion of the bowl except in a tilted or inclined position. Any attempt to install the grate level will, of course, result in the binding of the grate at more or less diametric points on its periphery against the Wall of the bowl so that the grate will teeter while, when the grate comes to rest frictionally fitting throughout its periphery against the wall of the bowl, it will be found that the grate is inclined as shown. Above the grate is provided a tobacco chamber I8 while below the grate is defined an expansion chamber I 9.

In conjunction with the grate I5 I provide a longitudinally tapered throat tube 20 which may be of metal or other approved material and is crooked or curved arcuately toward its larger end. Removably fixed over the larger end of the tube is an imperforate closure cap 2I considerably larger in diameter than the adjacent end of the tube and provided with a flaring, annular deflecting flange 22 depending about the tube in spaced relation thereto. Formed in the tube pref erably within the zone of said flange are one or more spaced inlet openings 23.

As brought out in Figure 2 of the drawing, the smaller end of the tube 20 frictionally fits in the mouth of the duct I3 and the tube is so arranged that the curved larger end thereof extends upwardly within the expansion chamber I9 of the pipe bowl axially thereof so that the cap 2| lies in contiguous spaced relation parallel to the grate I5. Thus, as will now be realized, both the grate I5 and the throat tube 20 may be readily installed in what may be more or less loosely termed any average conventional pipe.

It will now be assumed that the chamber I8 of the bowl III is filled with tobacco to which a flame has been applied and the pipe is in use. Moisture from the tobacco will tend to condense on the grate I5, due, of course, to the comparative coolness thereof and, therefore, since the grate is inclined, necessarily, as previously pointed out, such moisture as well as any other deposits will be caused to flow, by gravity, along the upper surface of the grate to encounter the inclined openings I6 and pass therethrough. As will be seen, the inclination of said openings will render the mouth of each a trap tilted with respect to the path of gravitational flow of the moisture and any moisture not encountering one or more of said openings will creep to the lower margin of the grate and so drain off through the notch I1 into the chamber I9. The condensation on the upper surface of the grate will thus be effectually diverted into the chamber I9. In contrast, were the grate level, the moisture would, as will be appreciated, collect in tiny islands and globules on the upper surface of th grate to clog the openings I6 perhaps and dampen the tobacco as well as possibly cause gurgling as suction was applied to the mouthpiece I2. When desired, the chamber I9 may be readily emptied, simply by removing the grate I5 and inverting the bowl II). In most instances, however, it will be found unnecessary to remove the grate, as, when the bowl is inverted, moisture in the bowl will drain out through the notch I! in the grate. If found expedient, the throat tube 20 may also be readily removed and after displacing the cap 2 I, said tube may be conveniently cleaned.

Upon entering the chamber I9, smoke from the burning tobacco in the chamber I8 will, of course, be drawn toward the throat tube 20 and as the main zone of suction will lie close about the large end of said tube, the smoke will be drawn downwardly. or, at least, the major portion thereof, to encounter the cap 2| and deflecting flange 22. Before entering the openings 23 in said tube, the smoke will accordingly be caused, by said cap and flange, to change its direction of flow and allowed to expand in the chamber I9 for dropping moisture. Subsequently, as the smoke enters the throat tube 20 and progresses therethrough, velocity will be increased and pressure reduced, as will be well understood. Thus, as the smoke enters the chamber I4 of the stem I I, which chamber is larger than the small end of the throat tube, expansion will again take place to further cool and dry the smoke. Furthermore, as will be seen, as long as the mouthpiece I2 is held in the mouth to exclude air, the pressure in the chamber I4 will tend to be less than the pressure in the larger chamber I9 with a resultant tendency to keep the tobacco in the pipe burning.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A smokers pipe including a cylindrical bowl internally contracted toward its lower end, a stem extending from the lower end of the bowl and provided with a smoke duct entering the bottom of the bowl, a flat freely removable reticulate grate ovate in peripheral outline to frictionally fit throughout its periphery in contact with the wall of the bowl only in inclined position within the lower portion of the bowl to define a tobacco chamber above the grate and an expansion chamber below the grate communicating with said duct, said grate being inclined to drain moisture from the upper surface thereof and being provided at the lowermost point in its periphery with a notch providing a drain opening through which moisture may escape into said expansion chamber and adapted to receive a wire or the like to engage beneath the grate and lift it out of the bowl, a throat tube uniformly tapered from end to end and frictionally engaged at its smaller end portion in the mouth of said duct,-the larger end portion of said tube being curved upwardly within said expansion chamber towardthe grate and provided near its adjacent end edge with an inlet, and a closure cap removably fitting over the larger end of said tube to lie substantially parallel to said grate close therebeneath and provided with a flared deflecting flange surrounding the tube at the zone of said opening, the tube with the cap thereon being freely removable through the bowl when the grate is displaced therefrom.

THEOPHILUS E. NEAL. 

